Apparatus for twisting skeins of yarn



C. H. GOLDSMITH APPARATUS FOR TWISTING SKEINS 0F YARN Filed Dec. 2, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 11, 1932. c. H. GOLDSMITH APPARATUS FOR TWISTING SKEINS OF YARN 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1930 Oct. 11, 1932.

C. H. GOLDSMITH APPARATUS FOR TWISTING SKEINS OF YARN .4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 2, 1930 1932' c. H. GOLDSMITH APPARATUS FOR TWISTING SKEINS OF YARN Filed Dec. 2, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 11, 1932 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE CHESTER H. GOLDSMITH, OF BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN COMPANY, OF BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE APPARATUS FOR TWISTING SKEINS OF YARN Application filed December 2, 1930. Serial No. 499,495.

This invention relates to apparatus for twisting a closed loop of flexible material such as a coiled skein of yarn. In the manufacture of rayon, the yarn is formed by the extrusion of a number of fine filaments of liquid viscose or other cellulosic solution 1nto a setting bath, whereby the fine streams of fluid become set into continuous filaments. The bundle of filaments constitutes the 30 yarn. The yarn is subjected to various chemical treatments to increase its permanence, strength, and luster. After it is finally dried, the resulting product is comparatively stifi. This stiffness may be reduced 15 and the yarn may be rendered softer and more pliable by mechanical working. If the yarn is in the form of coiled skeins, these skeins may be stretched and twisted, and simultaneous bending and stretching of the ac yarns having the effect of softening them.

According to the invention mechanism is provided for twisting a number of skeins first in one direction and then in the other, the twisting being repeated a predetermined 25 number of times, after which the mechanism is automatically stopped. In order to soften the entire skein without leaving any portions of unsoftened yarn therein, the portions of the skein which are held during the first 39 twisting operation are shifted so that during each successive twisting the skein is held at different points. Thus every portion of the skein is subjected to the twisting and stretching action.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the description thereof which follows and to the drawings, of which,.

I Figure 1 is an elevation of apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 45 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a valve for controlling the hydraulic mechanism.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing a portion of Figure 1 on a larger scale.

50 Figure 6 is an elevation of some of the members shown in Figure 5, the members being shown in adifierent position of operation.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 77 of Figures 1 and-5.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevation of another portion of Figure 1, on a larger scale.

Figure 10 is a section on the line 1010 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a section on the line 11-11- of Figures 9 and 10.

Figure 12 is a perspective View of a commutator drum.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view developed on a cylinder indicated by the line 13-13 of Figure 9.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a pair of interengaged dogs employed in the apparatus.

Figures 15 and 16 are separate views of the two dogs illustrated in Figure 14.

Figure 17 is a perspective view of a stop latch. 3

Figure 18 is an elevation of a pair of members shown in Figure 9.

Figure 19 is an elevation of one of the lower skein-supporting knobs.

Figure 20 is a section on the line 20-20 of Figure 19.

The apparatus, as a whole, is illustrated in Figure 1 and consists, essentially, of a number of upper knobs 30, an equal niunber of lower knobs 31, and hydraulic means for rotating the lower knobs relatively to the upper knobs so as to twist the skeins of yarn which are supported on respective pairs of knobs. As shown in Figure 3, each of the upper knobs may be carried by a bracket 32 having a stem 33 extending loosely through a fixed support 34. The upper projecting portion of the stem 33 carries a spring which bears against the support34 and a pin 36. The spring 35 thus presses the knob 30 upwardly to its uppermost position, as illustratedin Figure 3, but perunits the knob 30 to be drawn downwardly toward its corresponding lower knob 31. The knob 31 is supported by a bracket which is mounted on a vertical shaft 41 carrying a pinion 42. The several pinions 42 mesh with a horizontal rack 43 which is operatively connected with a piston 44. As shown, the rack 43 is an extension of the piston rod 45 which is directly secured to the piston 44. The piston may be reciprocally mounted in a suitable cylinder 46, power fluid being admitted alternately to the opposite ends of the cylinder as by pipes 47, 48 to reciprocate the piston 44, the rod 45, and the rack 43. The length of stroke of the piston 44 and the size of the pinions 42 determine the number of turns put into each skein in a single twisting step. For the control of the power fluid used in the cylinder 46, a valve such as is illustrated in Figure 4 may be provided. As therein shown, the valve may be of the slide type comprising a plunger 50 operated by a stem 51, the plunger having a pair of reduced portions 52, 53 which are adapted to form communicating channels between the pipes 47 and 48 which lead to the opposite ends of the cylinder 46 and a supply pipe 54 and a discharge pipe 55 by which power fluid may be supplied to and discharged from the chambers in the cylinder at opposite ends of the piston. Valves of this type are well known in the art and need no detailed description.

The control mechanism for reversing the valve is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The stem 51, as shown in Figure 1, passes through a pair of guiding and supporting members and 61., these members being suitably spaced apart in accordance with the stroke of the rack 43. Adjacent to each of the supports 60 and 61 a collar 62 is fixed on the stem 51. The supports each carry an arm 63 pivoted thereon, the arm having a shoulder 64 on the under edge thereof adapted to engage the collar 62. The end of the arm 63 remote from its pivot is beveled as at 65 to provide a cam face for engagement by the beveled end 66 of a pivoted lever 67 which is mounted on the main frame 70 .of the apparatus. The upper end portion of the lever 67 is forked, as shown in Figure 7 to straddle the stem 51. This forked portion bears against a spring 71, the other end of the spring resting against the collar 62. When the stem 51 is pushed to the right from the position shown in Figure 5, the upper end of the lever 67 swings to the right. and permits the arm 63 to drop so that the shoulder 64 catches the left hand end face of the collar 62, as shown in Figure 6. If the lower end of the lever 67 is thereafter moved to ward the right to rock the lever on its pivot, the beveled face 66 of this lever bears on the beveled end 65 of the arm 63 and swings this arm upwardly on its pivot .untilthe shoulder 64 releases the collar 62. The spring ,71 thereupon snaps the valve stem 51 toward the left, reversing the ,valve and hence, the direction of motion of the piston 44. At the same time, motion of the released stem 51 toward the left permits the other arm 63 which is pivotally mounted on the support 60,

to catch a corresponding collar 62 and hold the stem 51 in its extreme position toward the left until the corresponding lever 67 is rocked to permit the stem 51 to be snapped back toward the right. In order to rock the levers 67 at suitable times for the reversing of the control valve, a suitable block is mounted on the upper surface of the piston rod 45. This block 75 may be mortised on the rod 45 as at 76 so that there will be no slipping thereon. The block 75 is located on the portion of the rod which is midway between the supports 60 and 61 when the piston 44 is in the middle of its stroke. Thus, when the piston reaches either end of its stroke, the block 75 engages the lower end portion of one or the other of the levers 67 to trip the corresponding arm 63 and cause the valve to reverse. Thus the piston automatically reverses itself at the end of each stroke.

Since it is desirable to twist the skeins of yarn in opposite directions starting from the untwisted position which they have when first hung on the knobs 30-and 31, it is desirable that the twisting mechanism be in the middle of its stroke when the skeins are placed on the knobs. To this end, mechanism is provided for automatically stopping the piston red at the mid point of a stroke after a predetermined number of reverse twisting operations have been performed. This stopping mechanism may comprise a pair of stop latches 80 mounted on a short shaft 81 extending loosely through the rod 45, so that the two latches 80 rock together.

The latches are adapted to catch on shoulders 82 formed on a pair of standards 83 which, in turn, are mounted on the main frame 70. As the rod 45 is reciprocated back and forth between its extreme limiting positions by the piston 44, the latches 80 are carried with it. These latches may be lifted over the shoulders 82 for a predetermined number of reeiprocations as by a star wheel 84 which is rotatably mounted on one of the standards 83. This star wheel is provided with any desired number of teeth 85 which are defined by notches 86. There is one notch 87 which is considerably deeper than the remaining notches 86. As the rod 45 travels toward the left with the latches 80, one of the latter catches a teeth 85 of the star wheel 84, turning the star wheel to bring the next succeeding tooth into the path of motion of the latch 80. Reverse rotation of the star wheel may be prevented as by a detent 88. When the latch 80 engages any one of the shallow recesses 86, it rides up over the shoulder 82 so that the progress of the rod 85 toward the left is not stopped. In its reverse stroke toward the right, the latch 80 rides up on a suitable cam surface, 90 and on the back face of a tooth 85 to clear the wheel 84. When the wheel 84 turns to a position in which the deep notch 87 is presented to the latch 80, the latch is not lifted clear of the shoulder 82 but engages it, thus stopping the progress of the rod 45 and rack 43 at the mid point of the stroke.

As it may be desirable to shut off the power by which the piston is driven, during the subsequent removal of the twisted skeins and their replacement by fresh skeins to be twisted, I provide a commutator drum such as is illustrated in Figure 12. This drum may be of insulating material 91 having a metallic surface 92 with an insulating sector 93. The drum is mounted on a shaft 94 which also carries the star wheel 84, so that rotation of the star wheel results in equal rotation of the drum. The drum is mounted on the shaft 94 in such a manner that when the star wheel is rotated by engagement of the latch in the deep notch 87, this step of rotation brings the insulating sector 93 into contact with a brush 95 through which connections may extend to the motor for driving the pump (not shown) which supplies power fiuid for the cylinder 46. Thus at the moment when the progress of the rack is stopped, the power fluid supply may be shut off automatically When the treated skeins have been replaced by fresh skeins, the operation of the apparatus may be resumed by mechanism illustrated in Figures 9 to- 11. For this purpose a crank 100 is loosely mounted on the shaft 94 between the star wheel 84 and a disk 101 which is fixed on the shaft. The crank 100 is provided with a suitable handle 102 by which it may be rotated on the shaft 94. Within the cranklOO is mounted a plunger 103 pressed by a spring 104, the plunger 103 being parallel to the shaft 94. The end of the plunger which is opposite the spring 104 is adapted to enter a suitable arcuate depression 105 in the hub portion of the star wheel 84. This depression, as shown in- Figu-re 13, slopes down to a maximum depth at its forward end where it forms a" shoulder 106. During the operation of the apparatus, the end of the plunger 103 rides against the face of the hub portion of the star wheel 84 until the wheel is turned into the position to stop the apparatus, that is, the position in which the deep notch 87 is alined with the shoulder 82. lVhen the wheel reaches this position, the end of the plunger 103 drops into the depression 105. The wheel can then be advanced a tooth by the crank 100 since the plunger 103 engages the shoulder 106. This advance of the star wheel by the crank lifts the latch 80 clear of the stop shoulders 82 and leaves the rack 43 free for further movement. At the same time the commutator drum is rotated so as to bring the brush 95 into contact with the conducting surface 92 so as to close the circuit for the operation of the fluid supply means. After the operation has thus been started, the reciprocation of the rack 43 continues, the star wheel being advanced a tooth every time the rack reaches its mid point in its stroke toward the left, until the deep notch 87 is again reached, whereupon the apparatus is stopped as previously described. The number of teeth thus determines the number of times the skeins are twisted in opposite directions.

It is desirable that every portion of the skein be subjected to the twisting action and the consequent rubbing of the yarns on each other. Hence, apparatus is provided for shifting the skeins on their respective knobs so that during each twist, different portions of the skein are in contact with knobs. To this end the knobs are rotatably mounted on shafts 110 carried by their respective brackets. Each knob 31 is provided with a disk 111 having a friction edge adapted toride on a member 112 shaped in the form of half cup, this member having a semi-circular up per edge 113. The member 112 is mounted on a vertical shaft 114 which is held against rotation but which may be raised and low- I ered. by an arm 1'15 mounted on a shaft 116. For convenience, the shaft 41, which carries the bracket 40, is hollow so that the shaft 114 extends therethrough. The arm 115 may be rocked upwardly byrotation of the shaft 116 so as to move the member 112 up to bring its upper edge 113 into engagement with the friction disk 111. To this end, the end portion of. the rock arm 115 is forked as at 117,

this forked end bearing against a spring 118 which, in turn, bears against a pin 119 in the shaft 114. The forked end of the arm also straddles the flattened lower end portion of.

the shaft 114 to keep it from turning. The

member 112 is thus held against rotation so 7 that when it is raised into contact with the friction disk 111, rotation of the shaft 41,

which carries the knob 31, will cause a rota- I tion of the knob not only on a vertical axis but also on its horizontal shaft 110. The latarm is connected with a pitman 121 which, in

turn, carries a roller 122 riding on the upper face of a bar 123. This bar is provided with a'notch or recess 124 near its right hand end. Then the bar is moved toward the right so to allow the roller 122 to drop into the recess 124, the shaft 116 is rocked to lower the members 112 out of contact with the disks 1111. V7 hen the bar 123 is moved toward the left so that the roller 122 rides out ofthe recess 124, the shaft 116 is rocked to raise the members 112 into contact with the disks 111.

The actuation of the bar 123 is controlled through mechanism illustrated in Figures 9 to 14. The block 75, which is secured on the upper face of the rod 45, is provided with a dog 125. Rockably mounted on the bar 123 is a dog 126 having a laterally projecting portion 127 alined with the dog and engageable thereby. When the rod 45, with the block 75, is traveling toward the left, the dog 125 engages the dog 126, as shown in Figure 14, when the rod 45 reaches the mid point of its stroke. The rod thereupon carries the bar 123 along with it until an upstanding portion 130 of the dog 126 engages a fixed cross bar 131 mounted on the main frame 70, which tilts the dog 126 so that it clears the dog 125 and thus stops further progress of the bar 123. This short motion of the bar 123 toward the left is sufficient to cause the roller 122 to ride out of the recess 124, thus raising the members 112 and cans ing a rotation of the knobs 31 on their-own axes at a time when the skeins have little or no twist therein. As soon as the dog 126 is entirely clear of the dog 125, the bar 123 is moved back again to the right by a suitable spring 132 (Figure 1) which is attached to the bar 123 and to the main frame 70. The dog 126 is maintained in substantially hori- Zontal position when the bar 123 returns to the right by an ear 134 which engages under a lug 135 mounted on the upper surface of the bar 123. Thus when the rod 45 returns toward the right, with the block 75, the forward beveled face 136 of the dog 125 rides under a beveled end 137 of the dog 126, tilting the dog so that it can pass under the lateral extension 127 and thus be ready to engage this extension again when it reaches the mid point of its stroke toward the left. The movement of the bar 123 toward the right is limited by a suitable stop 138 which is adapted to engage a fixed guide 139 through which the bar 123 extends. Figure 9 illustrates the position of the stop 138 and the dogs when the apparatus as a whole is stopped, this being an intermediate position of the stop between its extreme position toward the left, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 9, and its extreme position toward the right when it is against the guide 139. The bar is also provided with a second guide 140 and a supporting roller 141. Suit-able supporting rollers 142 may also be supplied for the rod 45 and rack 43.

The operation of the apparatus is started by rocking the crank 100 to advance the star wheel a tooth. This lifts the latch 80 out of the deep recess 87 and turns on the power for supplying fluid for the cylinder 46. The skeins are then twisted between the knobs 30 and 31 until the piston, rod and rack reach the end of their stroke. The direction of travel is then automatically reversed, causing the skeins to untwist, then to twist in the opposite direction. After the next reversal, the skeins untwist and are shifted on the knobs as the next twisting begins. After a number of reversals, determined by the number of teeth on the star wheel, the latch 80 drops into the deep notch 87 and stops the apparatus.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for twisting a closed flexible loop, which comprises a pair of elements mounted to receive said loop and to stretch it taut, means for rotatingone of said elements relatively to the other to twist the loop alternately in opposite directions, means for automatically stopping the rotation after a predetermined number of reversals in the direction of twist.

2. Apparatus for twisting a closed flexible loop, which comprises a pair of knobs mounted with normally parallel axes to receive said loop and to stretch it taut, means for rotating the axis of one of said knobs relatively to that of the other to twist the loop alternately in opposite directions, means for automatically shifting the loop on the knobs between successive twists so as to bring different portions of the loop into contact with the knob, and means for automatically stopping the rotation of said one kn ob after a predetermined number of reversals in the direction of twist.

3. Apparatus fortwisting a closed flexible loop, which comprises a pair of spaced knobs having normally parallel axes, means for rotating one of said knobs on an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axes of the knobs, said means including a spindle alined with said axis'of rotation, a bracket mounted on said spindle and carryingsaid one knob, a pinion on said spindle, a rack meshed with said pinion, means for reciprocating said rack from a normal intermediate position to alternate extreme positions, means for automatically rotating said one knob on its own axis when said rack passes itsintermediate position, and means for automatically stopping the actuation of said rack after a predetermined numif her of reciprocation's.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

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